All Inn Brewing Stronghold Assassin Double IPA

All Inn Brewing maintain a strong focus on their local community, and so understandably offer a lot of beers that are well-made versions of safe styles; it doesn’t do to frighten off your regulars in the pursuit of ever-escalating flavours. But Stronghold Assassin is sneaky and dangerous, and not at all a safe beer for an unsuspecting punter.

A deep burnt orange makes this IIPA look like marmalade perhaps more than it should, because it’s tempting to have one for breakfast. The sizeable resinous aromas come through on the palate quite sweetly, with a strong undercurrent of grapefruit joining them along the way. It’s thick in the mouth without being impregnable, with a bitterness that’s slow to come in but then clings to the inside of your mouth and doesn’t let go.

Mick Wust